


Call It What You Want

by schmaenzi



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Are we still pretending the last season didn't happen, Cheating, College | University Student Sansa Stark, Crush at First Sight, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Healthy Relationships, Heartbroken Sansa, Home for Christmas, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Joffrey Baratheon Being an Asshole, Loss of Virginity, Ned Stark Lives, Past Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark, Police Officer Sandor Clegane, Protective Sandor Clegane, Shameless Smut, Swearing, Sweet Sandor Clegane, The Stark Siblings are goals, The Starks supporting each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:07:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21880717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schmaenzi/pseuds/schmaenzi
Summary: Sansa realized, that she found herself being wildly attracted to this stranger, with scars and calloused hands and all. Slowly withdrawing her hand and unbuckling her seatbelt, she shot him another look and exited the car.
Relationships: Jaqen H'ghar/Arya Stark, Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark, Jon Snow/Ygritte, Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark
Comments: 37
Kudos: 144





	1. My castle crumbled overnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this story over a year ago, shortly before I left home to travel to the other side of the world. Back then, the last season didn't exist yet, we all had hopes and dreams and life was easy.
> 
> Well, FEAR NOT because I decided to upload this story after all, and bring some angsty-but-wholesome Sansa/Sandor into everyone's timelines. It's still unfinished because I only got my hands on a laptop a few days ago but updates should still be somewhat regular. 
> 
> I got the inspiration for this story when I visited my sister, and saw a police officer turning on the blue car light for a little kid on the sidewalk. That was seriously the cutest thing ever and my mind went wild with possibilities.  
> All of the chapters and their pacing is loosely inspired by the Taylor Swift song 'Call It What You Want'.
> 
> TW's: I don't consider this story to be triggering BUT Sansa is having a hard time dealing with the break-up in Chapter 2. There is also the occasional swearing, but no physical harm is going to happen to anyone. This story has a very loving feel to it because I love the Stark family and picture them to be super supportive of their children and siblings.

# ♕

[tumblr mood board](https://schmaenzi.tumblr.com/post/189785304350/call-it-what-you-want-coming-home-for)

**_My castle crumbled overnight_ **

Rickon had been restless and grumpy for the better part of an hour now. From the moment Sansa had to forcefully wrestle him into the shopping cart seat to denying him the outrageous amount of sweets he tried to sneak into the said cart, her little brother behaved like a nightmare.

Usually, they got along perfectly, but today the five-year-old appeared to be hell-bent on making Sansa miserable. The constant stream of text messages from her boyfriend Joffrey was not helping her feel better.

While the smiling lady at the check-out slowly scanned each item and a younger boy packed all of their groceries in little plastic bags, Sansa dragged her slim fingers through Rickon’s unruly hair from behind, calming him down significantly after yet another short-lived crying fit. Her mind drifted off to her boyfriend once more, when yet another text message arrived. 

Joffrey Baratheon was everything that Sansa had ever dreamed of when it came to boys and future husbands. He was just as tall as her, had gorgeous blonde hair and blue eyes and the sweetest smile one could imagine. At the beginning of their relationship, he had been nothing but a gentleman; showering her with gifts and compliments, introducing her not only to his friends but also his family. He was ambitious and studied law to become a lawyer like his uncle Jamie, threw some of the best parties on campus and liked taking her on rides in his expensive car. 

She had felt a rush every time he looked at her, a silent sort of triumph whenever his attention was fixed on her alone. His sweet words and soft hands that held hers when they went out had driven her crazy and the stolen kisses in-between their classes felt like a secret treasure for her to guard.

Only, it wasn’t a secret. Nothing of her relationship with Joffrey was private, every move and gesture and glance scrutinized by the other students, in particular, the girls and Joffrey’s close friends. She hadn’t minded that, indulging him in whatever he deemed appropriate to present to the world and standing just a little bit taller whenever a particularly jealous stare had hit her.

After a handful of blissfully happy months with him, he had started to change. Or maybe he didn’t and she just started to see the real Joffrey? Sansa witnessed him becoming angry over insignificant matters, slamming doors and even throwing around her expensive camera gear that Jon had gifted her at the start of her senior year. His grades steadily spiraled downwards, which resulted in grand parties that were filled with so much alcohol and weed, that she had stopped attending them. On the rare occasions that they went out, she had caught him more than once while he checked out other girls. Whenever she confronted him about it, he either got angry again and accused her of ruining his night on purpose or denying it in such an honest way that Sansa felt guilty about doubting him.

The problem with all of this was, that she hadn’t consciously realized his flaws and abusive behavior until a week ago. As soon as the winter break had started, she had packed up her bags and taken the first flight home. Winterfell was a small town in comparison to Kings Landing, she knew nearly everybody in the neighborhood and her family had a great reputation because of her father’s position as Senior Deputy in their police department. Only when she was away from the prying eyes, the gossip and the jealousy that came with dating someone as prestigious as a Baratheon in an equally prestigious school did Sansa realize how tired she was. She had started to hate the public displays of affection that Joffrey was putting on for the others, loathed the whispers that seemed to follow her around even when she was without him. In the quiet of her home, Sansa was able to relax for the first time in a long while.

Joffrey's constant need to know where she went and whom she spends her time with, was starting to suffocate her even hundreds of miles away. In two hours, he had called her three times and send at least a dozen text messages, each one drunker than the one before that. Sansa had given up on answering him since he didn’t seem to process what she texted back anyway and when Rickon had started acting up she simply had lost the nerve of dealing with her wasted boyfriend and just muted her phone. 

Now that she was handing over her mothers' credit card to the cashier, she started to regret that decision. Joffrey would surely be angry with her for ignoring him, yelling and breaking something in his room. 

„Here you go, sweetheart. Have a nice day!“ the elderly woman said, handing the card back and giving Rickon one of the sweets that she seemed to keep in her apron. He squealed with delight while Sansa shot her a thankful look and returned the pleasantries. Pushing their overflowing shopping cart outside, she inhaled the cold afternoon air and draped her scarf around her little brother, when she realized that it had started to snow again.

Once she finished loading the groceries into the back of her car, Rickon wanted to be led out and demanded that he would be allowed to help her push the cart back to where the others were perfectly aligned in front of the supermarket. Sansa smiled and indulged him, knowing that he would like it when he was allowed to do ‚grown-up things‘.

Rickon was not an easy child, she knew that, but most people did not take the time to look behind his unruly behavior. He was energetic and loud, sometimes even aggressive and had been labeled as trouble by their babysitter Mrs. Mordane. Most of his restlessness seemed to come from pent-up energy, that he hardly used up and the fact that their father was so busy with work. Rickon adored his Daddy, and always waited until he returned home for him to tuck him into bed. Sansa was also aware, that her coming and going due to college put an even bigger strain on him.

She couldn’t find it in herself to be truly mad at him for long, especially when he was basically drowning in her big self-made scarf with just his hair and nose sticking out. After putting their cart away, she turned back in the direction of her car, but a small warm hand slid into hers and stopped her. Rickon was looking up to her with his big eyes, that looked so much like her own.

„Can we take a walk, please?“ he said and put on his charming smile, showing off the little white teeth. He was vibrating with energy again, and Sansa smiled patiently.

„Only a small one, we still have to drive home and help Mommy cook dinner, remember?“

He eagerly nodded his head and gripped her hand tighter, waiting for her to decide which direction they would go. They wandered hand in hand along the sidewalk, snow falling down on them a little heavier and occasionally stopping when Rickon saw something interesting down the road or remembered a particularly exciting story from the time when she was away. He jumped into a small pile of snow, laughing so freely that Sansa’s chest started to hurt.

She missed her little brother, all of them, really, as well as her sister and parents. Spending time with Rickon, in particular, made her realize how much she was missing whenever she went back to College because each time when she came back he was taller, more talkative and independent. Feeling the familiar burn of hot tears in her eyes, she quickly blinked them away, only to realize that her little brother had wandered off and was now staring at an approaching police car. For a moment, she thought that it was her father driving home from work, but a quick glance on the watch around her wrist told her, that he wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours. 

Quickly walking up to her brother, Sansa dragged him a few feet away from the road and combed her fingers through his hair again. He relaxed back onto her legs and held his hands in front of himself like he was praying.

„Look San, it’s the police!“ he gushed excited, bouncing on his feet. The car seemed to slow down, parking on the opposite sidewalk. A huge man climbed out of the vehicle, with dark hair and a perfectly fitting uniform. His shoulders were broad and when he walked around the front of the car, she was able to make out a gun underneath his jacket. He cast a searching glance around, stopping on them. It was hard to tell from the distance, but his dark eyes seemed to linger on her for a heartbeat longer than strictly necessary before dropping to her little brother. He sends Rickon a small smile and tips his hat, before walking up the driveway he had parked in front of.

„Wow“ breathed Rickon. _Wow indeed_.

Gently prodding him with her legs, Sansa managed to move Rickon further down the street, but his thoughts were purely concentrated on the police officer from before.

„Is he doing the same as Daddy?“ he asked and practically bounced up and down next to her. His fascination with the police was endearing to her and her mother, he truly idolized not only their father but also all his friends at the station. However, he was too small to be taken there often, so he mostly just settled for the child-friendly stories that Father would tell him every night.

„Yes, peanut. Did you find that exciting?“ Sansa asked him kindly and he nodded eagerly. After a few more minutes of excited chatter, her brother slowed down with each step and started yawning. Smiling to herself, she bent down and picked him up, cuddling his squishy frame to her body. Rickon wrapped his small arms around her neck, while she readjusted the scarf around him, turning back the same street that they came from. She knew that he would eventually tire out and was glad that it would probably end up being a peaceful drive back home.

While Sansa was not weak by any means, her little brother was not a small baby anymore and the additional weight was slowing her down quite a bit. By the time the parked police car came into view again, the slow fall of the snowflakes had worsened and she could feel her cheeks becoming red from the cold. Not wanting Rickon to walk, she hugged him a bit tighter. He was looking around the familiar street, eyes latching onto the big figure of the man from before. The police officer was exiting the little quaint house, shaking the hand of Maria Frey. She wasn’t much older than Sansa herself but had married two years ago. Her husband was Walder Frey, a man twenty years her senior, that had a tendency for day drinking and gambling.

Her father had told Sansa that Maria called often, whenever her husband would get drunk and yell at her, occasionally the neighbors would intervene as well, but Maria did not want to give up on her marriage. It was hard to tell, but she looked as though she might’ve been crying when the tall man bid his farewell and cautiously made his way down the slippery driveway. Sansa was glad that Rickon was so focused on the stranger, that he hadn’t noticed anything.

She kept walking, but Rickon started tugging insistently on her collar. He didn’t say anything, but she knew him well enough to know that he wanted to watch how the man drove away. With a sigh she readjusted him and stood still, the cold December air still tugging on her clothes. The stranger walked up to his car, fishing for a cigarette in his pocket. When he found one, he lifted it up to his mouth, walking around the hood of the police car, but stopping dead in his tracks when he saw them standing there again.

Quickly stuffing his cigarette back, he straightened his shoulders and Sansa had to bite back a grin. Rickon was watching him with shining eyes, once again looking at his uniform and tall figure and making excited little noises. He was so cute, sometimes.

„Don’t you want to say hello?“ she whispered in his ear, watching the broad man with a completely different kind of interest. Feeling a distant prick of shame for even looking at another man, while her boyfriend was probably still texting her, Sansa decided that whatever Joffrey didn’t know, couldn’t upset him. 

Rickon blushed and waved his little hand shyly, before quickly tucking it back around her neck. The stranger looked baffled for a second, before smiling and waving back. Her little brother was so excited that he had started squirming in her arms. How a man as massive as that one could comfortably fit into the car puzzled Sansa, but before he drove away, she saw him looking at them again through the window. He pressed a button and the blue lights on top of the car came to life for a few seconds, without the alarm. Laughing with excitement, Rickon clapped his hands again and asked multiple times whether she had seen that as well. 

Winking at the both of them, making Sansa blush this time, he took a slow U-turn and drove back the way he came from. Calming her stupidly beating heart, she and Rickon started making their way back once more.

Her thoughts were circling around broad shoulders and blue lights, which is why it took her several seconds until she realized that the snow was falling like a thick blanket now. Cursing herself for standing around for too long, she tried walking a bit faster, but her arms were getting tired from Rickon’s weight and the slippery sidewalk was forcing her to be cautious. Her little brother had fallen asleep with his head on her shoulder a minute or two ago, and she seriously started questioning how long they had walked before. 

The low rumble of an engine next to her was the only warning she got, before being addressed by a low raspy voice right beside them.

„Hey, where are you two going? Are you lost?“

Sansa nearly jumped out of her skin with the shock, glaring at the handsome stranger. He was actually driving on the wrong side of the road to be closer to them, his window was down and snow was gradually falling into the police car. Shaking her head, Sansa answered in a quiet voice, not wanting to wake her little brother.

„No, we’re not. We actually just took a walk, b-but my brother got tired and it started snowing so we’re making our way back home now“ her voice faltered mid-sentence, his intense gaze giving her pleasant goosebumps. This was so wrong, she seriously had to stop.

„Can I take you there? I don’t feel comfortable with the knowledge that you’re walkin’ around alone in a snowstorm when it’s getting dark. Especially with the little one.“ His voice had gotten gruffer and he gestured with his chin to Rickon, who slept peacefully through their conversation.

„It’s hardly a snowstorm“ she answered with an eye roll and a smile, making him smile in return.

„Yet.“

Shrugging her shoulders, she glanced at his name tag, Clegane, and made her way around the car. He exited as well, opening one of the backdoors and letting Sansa drop Rickon on the broad bench in the back. He stirred, but when Officer Clegane draped a fluffy blanket over him, he sighed contentedly. Closing the door as gently as possible, Sansa saw herself face to face with the kind man. Before she could take a longer look, he had turned around and opened the door to the passenger seat in the front for her. Blushing, she entered the car and let herself drop into the soft leather.

Sansa was starting to really question her sanity, while she waited for him to enter on the driver's side. Here she was, getting into a car with a literal stranger, trusting him with her little brother as well as with her own life. Caution was one the thing that her mother and father had instilled into them since their childhood, so why was she throwing all of it away now? Because he had waved back and made her brother laugh? She really was crazy. 

He dropped in next to her, glancing over to check if she had put on her seat belt and then started up the engine again. The windshield wipers were doing their best to work against the steady stream of snow, and Sansa dreaded the moment already when they had to exit into the cold late-afternoon again.

„So, what’s your name?“ he asked quietly. „I’ve never seen you around here before.“

„I’m Sansa.“ She purposefully left out her last name. „I just got back from college for the break, that’s probably why we haven’t met. Although, I don’t usually run into trouble with the law“ she teased and was shocked by her boldness.

Officer Clegane just laughed, however, and shot her an amused look.

„Didn’t take you for a troublemaker“ he smirked and faced the road again. „Where should I drop you off?“ 

Directing him towards the local supermarket was easy, and after a few short minutes, he pulled up next to her car. He reached into his puffy jacket, pulling out a card. She took it with shaking fingers, suddenly overwhelmed by his presence and the warmth that his hand seemed to radiate. 

„If you ever find yourself wandering around again, don’t hesitate to call me.“ She nodded, knowing full well that she would probably never call. 

„Yes, officer.“

Once she safely tucked the card away, he extended his hand, completely engulfing hers when she took it. „You can call me Sandor, by the way.“

The goosebumps were starting again, and Sansa had never been gladder to wear a thick winter coat, as it was the only way to hide her obvious reaction. Taking a good look at his face, she was surprised. Since he had fully turned to her to shake her hand, she was able to really see the left side of his face. It had burn scars around his temple and close to his left eye, disappearing under the police hat he was wearing. His dark eyes were looking at her expectantly, but with a guarded expression. Sansa knew it was rude to stare, so she tried not to.

„Thank you for driving us, maybe Rickon will be awake enough next time to appreciate it“ she smiled at him and the skin around his eyes crinkled when he smiled back.

Sansa realized, that she found herself being wildly attracted to this stranger, with scars and calloused hands and all. Slowly withdrawing her hand and unbuckling her seatbelt, she shot him another look and exited the car. The cold air was clearing her head a little bit, and she saw the Officer scrambling out in a haste as well. He took a few long strides around to her side, passed her and opened the backseat door where Rickon was still sleeping. She quickly unlocked her own car, holding open the door for him. He carried her little brother with ease, still tucked into the blanket and looking like a small caterpillar.

Once he was secured with the seatbelt, Rickon opened his eyes, once, then twice when he realized who had just put him into Sansa’s car. His eyes got wide as saucers, and he stuttered a little hello before blushing again.

Officer Clegane chuckled and ruffled his hair, before closing the door. Sansa was smiling as well, and tucking one of her long red hair strands behind her ear. She was at a loss for words, which embarrassed her a little bit.

„Thank you, again. He will undoubtedly talk only about you at dinner tonight“ she managed after a few seconds.

He sent her a little smile, tipped his hat like he had done earlier and entered his car once more. Watching him pull out of the parking lot and driving away, Sansa had a warm tingling feeling in her stomach. Only when Rickon knocked on the glass from the inside, did she come back to herself and quickly scrambled into the driver's seat.

They took longer than expected to arrive back home. The roads were covered in a thin layer of ice, and Sansa cursed the ongoing snowfall for making it worse. Rickon was chatting with his stuffed wolf about his day, while she was singing along to her favorite songs on the radio. Pulling up their long driveway, Sansa smiled at the beautiful weirwood trees that circled her childhood home. When she was younger, she had been afraid of the faces that her father and uncle had carved into them when they were children, but looking at them now felt like a mixture of coming home and a strong feeling of being protected from the outside world.

Their mother had apparently already been expecting them because as soon as Sansa had parked in her designated spot, the front door opened and Catelyn Stark rushed out with a smile and a warmly knitted cardigan.

„You’re later than expected,“ she said, helping Sansa unload her truck. Her little brother grabbed one of the smaller bags and hurried inside, while they loaded as many bags into their arms as possible.

„We took a walk after we got the groceries“ she explained, locking her car. „And when it started snowing, we had to go a lot slower. Safety first and all that.“

Laughing a little bit, they unloaded everything on the various kitchen counters and her mother immediately began to store everything away. Knowing that she wasn’t needed anymore, Sansa untied her boots and hung up the heavy dark coat, as well as the scarf that she had given Rickon. When she passed Arya’s room on her way upstairs, her sister poked her head out of the door.

She was not wearing her dark makeup that she would usually put on when they were in college, and the cute space buns on either side of her head made her look a lot younger than normal.

„Hey! We need a fourth player, wanna join us?“ she asked with a smile and Sansa contemplated it for a second. She really should go back into her room and call Joffrey, try to explain that she hadn’t forgotten about him and such, but… she really wasn’t in the mood for that. Thinking about it made her feel drained already, and looking at her little sister, she knew that a round or two of Call Of Duty with her family would be the much better alternative. 

„Just let me change real quick, I’ll be right with you guys“ she smiled back, earning a high five from Arya.

For the past two years now, the relationship with her little sister had improved immensely. Both of them had grown up a lot, and regular gaming sessions with Arya and her then-boyfriend Gendry, as well as a few other good friends from school, had bonded them together. When she first suggested playing with them, Arya had been skeptical. What she didn’t know was that Sansa and Robb had often played various games together, whenever one of them couldn’t sleep at night. So when Sansa had joined them one late Wednesday afternoon, Arya had not expected to be annihilated by her own big sister during the first round.

Sansa smiled fondly when she thought back to it, quickly changing into her softest yoga pants and a sweatshirt. It would probably take another hour until they had to help with setting the dinner table and her Father’s return home.

Time flew when they played in their regular squad, so when Jon hollered for them to come downstairs, both Arya and Sansa were a bit disappointed to cut their current match short. Still cursing the opposite team, Arya made her way downstairs followed by her.

As expected, their father was punctual as always. He greeted them with a kiss to the cheek and embraced his wife while looking over the full dinner table. Jon and Bran were engaged in a conversation about Bran’s latest physics project and Robb was busy filling Rickon’s plate with exactly the right amount of peas that he demanded.

When everybody had settled, they all listened to Arya talk about the latest art class she had taken as well as Robb complaining about the long shifts he had to work this week. Sansa watched her family with a fond smile and a heavy heart. She longed to be like this with them every day, or at least every weekend.

„What have you been up to today, son?“ her father asked Rickon with a fond smile. Her brother perked up immediately, looking excitedly at Sansa.

„San and I went shopping together! And then we took a walk and I jumped on a huge mountain of snow, right?“ he smiled at her cutely, and she nodded while drinking a sip of her favorite white wine.

„A mountain? How far have you walked for that, sweetie?“ inquired their mother, hiding her own smile behind her hand. 

„It was in front of Mrs. Mormont’s house!“ he exclaimed, stomping some of his potatoes. At the mention of Lyanna Mormont’s mother, Bran sat up a bit straighter. „And then we walked even further until we got to Mrs. Frey’s house. One of your friends was there, daddy!“ Rickon gushed.

Their father drew together his eyebrows and shot Catelyn a look. „One of my friends?“ 

„Yes! He was soo tall! And I saw him put on the lights, too!“

„It was Officer Clegane, Dad,“ Sansa said quickly, earning her a curious glance from her mother. „He was kind enough to drive me and Rickon back to the parking lot when it had started to snow.“

„You didn’t mention that!“ her mother said accusingly. „What have we told you about strangers? Did you know him before this?“ 

Sansa’s cheeks burned a little, and she shook her head. Arya was watching her with an interested little grin on her face. Her father put a hand on their mother’s hand, smiling calmly.

„Sandor is one of my new Officers, love. He’s a good lad.“ turning back to Rickon he asked „And how did you like driving in a real police car? Are you planning on becoming a villain?“ 

Rickon crossed his arms and pouted a little.

„He was asleep“ she explained, glad that the focus wasn’t on her anymore. Jon and Robb laughed, making the rest of the family smile. Arya hit her leg under the table, smiling mischievously. Once again, Sansa felt herself blushing and slightly shaking her head, mouthing _later_ to her little sister.

Later turned out to be exactly at 11 pm, when all of them had finished eating, the younger ones had been brought to bed and the dishwasher was running. Sansa was sitting cross-legged on her bed, brushing her long hair, when Arya barged into her room. She quickly closed the door behind herself and bounced onto Sansa’s bed.

„So“ she dragged the word and smirked. „Why didn’t you say anything about that police guy, hm? Was he hot? Didn’t want to tell mom?“

„Arya!“ she said scandalized, but nothing else came to mind.

„So he was hot!“ Arya answered triumphantly.

„You know I’m with Joffrey“ sighed Sansa, putting away her brush and facing her sister.

„And? You can still look at other guys, you know. He’s a piece of shit anyway.“

When she didn’t get the reaction she wanted, her face turned somber.

„Are you and him… you know. Okay? Don’t get me wrong, I would love for him to finally be out of the picture, but…“ she trailed off, unsure about her next words. Sansa smiled sadly.

„I honestly don’t know. He just changed a lot over the past few months and I don’t like who he has turned into.“ A bad feeling settled in her stomach, like a stone pulling her under.

„And have you… done what he wanted?“ Arya blushed.

„You mean if I had Sex with him when he was high as all hell?“ she retorted drily, sending her sister a look. For all of her experience, Arya was still too awkward to actually talk about it. God bless her.

Her little sister started to giggle, throwing herself face first on Sansa’s pillow. 

„Guess that’s a no?“

„Correct.“

Now Sansa started to giggle as well.

„Well, you know my thoughts already. He is a douchebag and you’re way too good for him.“

Sadly, that wasn’t only Arya’s opinion. All of her brothers strongly disliked Joffrey, except for Rickon because he was way too little to actually dislike someone, and her mother had warned her to be cautious with her virtue around him. Thinking back on that particular conversation, Sansa still wanted to scream with embarrassment.

It wasn’t like she was a prude. She really enjoyed making out and touching her boyfriend, had tried out various things with him already, but Joffrey had never made her feel comfortable enough for anything further. 

When the silence between them stretched for another minute, Arya propped her head upon her hands.

„You never did answer me. Whether or not he was hot, that is.“

Sansa threw herself next to her sister and let out a sigh.

„He was.“

„Was he tall?“

„Very.“

„Muscular?“

„Oh, yes.“

Looking at each other, they started chuckling again.

„Why don’t you go around the station and visit Dad next week. Maybe he’ll be there and it’s not forbidden to indulge in some eye-candy.“

„Maybe...“ she answered with a smile and stared at the little fairy lights, that she had put around her bedpost.

„You could take the little monster with you and say that he wanted to ride in a cop car again. Nobody has to know the real reason.“ Arya smirked.

„You spend an awful lot of time thinking about this, haven’t you?“

„I might’ve.“ she answered easily, hoisting herself up and crawling down the bed. „I’m gonna call Jaqen now, see if he wants to play some Fortnite with me.“

„What’s up with you two, anyway? Are you finally dating him or still denying that he likes you back?“

Arya just sends her a kiss and exited the room in a whirl. Shaking her head, Sansa turned her head to look out of the window. The snow had piled on her windowsill, and the glass seemed to be frozen. Sighing, she reached for her phone and unmuted it.

There were twenty missed calls and fifty-seven unanswered messages. She read through the messages of her friend Margaery first and typed out a quick reply, before reading through the gibberish that Joffrey’s messages had turned into. Some were full sentences, but so filled with typos that it was hard to guess what he actually had wanted to say. The last few were just random letters and sometimes a number.

She hesitated for a second, not entirely sure why she was feeling so annoyed and indifferent about him today. Because of the time zones, it was currently around three in the morning in Kings Landing. Still okay, considering how long his parties usually lasted.

Sansa pressed the little call symbol next to his name and pressed her phone to her ear. It dialed for a few moments and when nobody seemed to pick up, she was ready to end the call. Suddenly, a drunk voice answered.

„Hello?“

She froze. That was not Joffrey.

„Hi? Who are you?“ she answered, voice unsure.

„Who are you?“ came the snarky reply back, mixed with a hickup.

„I’m Sansa. Is Joffrey there?“

The girl on the other side let out a small sound.

„Ooh, the ex-girlfriend. You really have balls to call him- Hey!“ there was a commotion and some curses. Her heart was beating so quickly, her ribs felt like they couldn’t contain it anymore. 

Why the fuck was a girl answering her boyfriends' phone.

She could hear his voice, telling the girl to shut the fuck up and get out. The girl complained about something, then silence.

„Hey, babe“ came his slurred greeting, clearly out of breath.

„Who was that!“ She nearly shouted, making him groan. Sansa didn’t care how loud she was at this moment, the bad feeling from earlier had returned tenfold. „Why is a random girl with you, answering your phone and calling me your ex-girlfriend?“

„Nobody, I swear“ he answered, voice bored. „You know how some people are, coming into your room at house parties and shit.“ There was another soft noise, that Sansa couldn’t make out. Joffrey took a drag of whatever he was smoking and groaned.

„Maybe she thought you’re my ex because you never answer your fucking phone?“

Sansa was speechless.

„You know, it really gets old when you try calling and calling and texting and texting and your own girlfriend doesn’t think it’s important enough to reply“ he randomly stretched and slurred some words, but she was still able to understand his accusation perfectly.

„What did you want anyway? I’m kinda busy right now“ he continued, when she didn’t answer. The soft noise was there again, a little louder this time. Tears burned in Sansa’s eyes. She had a suspicion about what was going on, but couldn’t find the words to express herself.

Joffrey’s breathing had gotten a little bit quicker and she knew him and his reactions so well by now, that she was sure.

„She is still there, isn’t she?“ she whispered, horrified.

„You’re letting this girl feel you up while you’re on the phone with me?“

He was silent for a second, and she could hear him sit up. There was a faint noise of the thrumming bass from the speakers downstairs, loud enough to be heard even over the phone.

„So what?“

„Are you serious?“

„Yeah“ he drawled. „Not like you’re here or shit. Can you really blame me for getting what I want elsewhere when my girlfriend doesn’t even want to talk to me?“ his voice had gotten louder, colder, less slurred. She had the strong feeling that the previous texts had not always been from him, but rather her.

Sansa took a calming breath. She suddenly saw everything very clear, and her heart stopped racing. Joffrey was actively cheating on her, had likely done so in the past. He hadn’t even enough shame to stop whoring around when she was calling him. All of his previous actions came flooding back to her. Her broken camera, the fighting, the screaming, the accusations and glances he would throw other girls.

Arya’s earlier words came back into her mind. He is a douchebag and you’re way too good for him. Her little sister was right. She just had been too blind to see it.

A cold layer of ice wrapped around her heart and Sansa rolled over on her back.

„You still there?“

„Yes.“ She answered. Her voice was clear and strong, the hand on her stomach only shaking slightly. „You know, it’s okay.“

„What?“ he asked, confused for the first time tonight.

„It’s okay that you’re fucking that girl. Matter of fact, don’t let me hold you back. I am done with you and your bullshit.“ 

There was a protesting noise on the other end of the line, but Sansa couldn’t find it in herself to even wait for his reaction. She ended the call and muted her phone.

Staring at the ceiling once more, Sansa didn’t know what to do. There was a familiar burn behind her eyes, but she blinked the tears away. Her shaking fingers typed a quick message to Arya, before throwing her phone on the nightstand. 

She turned off the lights, rolling into a small ball. Was this what a shock felt like? Her feet were numb and the icy feeling around her heart didn’t fade. All of the good memories she had with Joffrey were tainted now. Letting out a bitter laugh, she buried her face into one of her pillows. What an utter waste of time that relationship had been. And to think about how happy she was in the beginning.

After a while, there was a small noise and a brief flicker of light, before her room was plunged into darkness once more. Small steps were coming closer to her bed, the mattress dipped behind her. Arya’s small arms circled around her, putting a blanket over her cold body.

„Do you want to talk about it?“ she murmured, a sad little sound.

Sansa shook her head and Arya understood. She held her a little tighter and if she felt the slight shaking of her big sisters' shoulders, she didn’t comment on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As English is not my first language, I would greatly appreciate it if you could point out any mistakes I made, because I want everyone to have the best reading experience possible.
> 
> What do you think of the characters and dynamics so far? Should Sansa forgive Joffrey?
> 
> Leave some love, little birds.


	2. All my flowers grew back as thorns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The feedback to the first chapter was so so wonderful, thank you to everyone that left a comment and showed so much love!  
> When editing this new chapter I fixed all of the quotation marks from my german keyboard settings to the English ones, thanks guys I forget it every bloody time. :)
> 
> Also, everybody seemed to agree that Sansa should not get back together with Joffrey and forgive him, let's see! Have you ever been in a situation where you looked back on a relationship and realized how toxic it was? 
> 
> I split this chapter in two because I felt like it was getting a little long and I like where it cuts off now, but tell me what you think!
> 
> TW's: Sansa is in a bad place mentally, but her family is wonderful.

# ♕

[tumblr mood board](https://schmaenzi.tumblr.com/post/189785304350/call-it-what-you-want-coming-home-for)

****_All my flowers grew back as thorns_ ** **

Waking up the next morning, Sansa felt like death.

Her eyes were swollen and red, strands of hair sticking to the back of her neck and side of the face. Swallowing repeatedly, her throat was dry and her entire chest seemed to fall in on itself and suffocate her at the same time. There was no feeling in her heart, but a massive headache made up for that.

Sansa’s room had heated up overnight, the blanket she was under felt too heavy all of a sudden. Reaching out to her nightstand, she picked up the phone and checked the time. It was still fairly early, but she couldn’t feel any of her usual energy. Her arm felt heavy, so Sansa let it drop next to her like it didn’t actually belong to her body.

Thinking about last night made her stomach turn. It hit her like a bulldozer, rolling over her in waves of pain and anxiety. Had she really called it quits? Just like that? She felt sick.

Quickly throwing off her blanket, Sansa stumbled out of her bed, over to the door. Her stomach turned again, and the distinctive taste of bile rose up in her throat.

She didn’t quite make it to the bathroom. Heaving, she tried to hold in as much vomit as possible but only partly succeeding. Sansa felt like she had thrown up for several hours, when there was a quiet oh dear behind her and gentle fingers cradled her head first, then pulled her hair back. 

The comforting presence of her mother made her tear up, and she started sobbing uncontrollably. Never before had she felt this miserable, not even when Joffrey had shouted at her. Back then, she always knew that it would be over soon and that they would make up again but her sadness loomed like a massive impenetrable wall in front of her now. 

When her mother was positive that she wouldn’t throw up again, she flushed the toilet and hoisted Sansa up with a firm grip. She handed her a glass of water and wiped at her face with a cool washcloth. Her face was burning and the constant stream of tears simply wouldn’t stop. Sansa had to take a seat on the toilet because her legs felt like they were made out of cement.

Catelyn Stark was used to a lot of things. Raising six children, you had to have a strong stomach and even stronger nerves. Seeing Sansa in her current state hurt her immensely, she wanted to help her at all costs but couldn’t tell what was wrong with her eldest daughter. The dark bags under her eyes, the sweaty hair and the vomiting made her look sick but Cat wasn’t sure if that was the case. Yesterday, Sansa had looked and acted completely fine and her motherly instincts told her that something had happened.

Not wanting to distress her daughter any further, however, she instead took to cleaning up the mess in the hallway and bathroom. Sansa watched her with hooded eyes, keeping the washcloth on her forehead. It looked like she wasn’t truly there like her thoughts had wandered off to a faraway place.

Gently grabbing her elbow, she helped her up again.

"Go take a shower, my love. I will lay out some clothes for you and then you can go back to sleep" she told her with a smile, softly squeezing Sansa’s hand. That seemed to shake her out of her stupor and with a nod, she turned around and slowly slipped out of her yoga pants. Catelyn strode out of the bathroom and gently closed the bathroom door.

Arya was standing at Sansa’s door, looking lost.

"I think she forgot that I was with her, she basically ran out all of a sudden," she said in a sleepy voice and her mother shook her head.

"Care to explain what happened?" 

"No idea, pinky promise. It might have to do with Joffrey but I’m not sure, she didn’t want to talk about it yesterday night."

She narrowed her eyes and entered Sansa’s room. Quickly striding through it, she opened up the windows and shook out the bedding. Arya had gone downstairs to fetch some tea for her older sister, brewing an entire teapot instead of just a cup. They were the only ones up, which suited Arya just fine because she knew how mortified Sansa would be if her brothers and father had seen her like that.

In the meantime, Sansa was taking one of the hottest showers in her life. Her sensitive skin had turned red already, and all she was able to do was stand under the hot stream and stare at their dark shower tiles. The water was running down her body in rivulets, searing her slightly. It felt good. The pain in her body and on her skin was taking away the pain inside of her, replacing it with numbness instead. She slowly lathered up her hands with shower gel, running them over herself. There was nothing left now, no point to hurry up. All she had ever wanted and worked so hard for, was gone with a few simple words.

Mechanically scrubbing her scalp and letting the water from the shower run into her mouth, she tilted her head back. The disgusting taste of bile had finally washed away from her mouth, her legs and arms no longer feeling cold. Sighing, she turned the shower off.

Carefully exiting the shower on wobbly feet, Sansa had to fight off another wave of nausea and dizziness.

She brushed her teeth and combed her hair, feeling like a thick blanket had been wrapped around her head. Any noise seemed to come from far away, her skin was hurting now and the warm air felt almost suffocating. Slipping into her favorite bathrobe felt like a rough stone was being dragged over her already abused skin, she was highly aware of every movement she made now and her headache had gotten worse. Rummaging through the bathroom cabinet, she found a small bottle of painkillers and swallowed two of them with some water.

Slowly making her way out of the bathroom, Sansa was surprised to see her sister standing next to their mother in the hallway. She remembered that she had sent her a text, asking her if she could keep her company, but beyond that everything she could remember was a blur of waking up and crying and feeling colder with every hour. Arya must’ve stayed with her, she realized, but couldn’t find it in herself to smile.

They said nothing but gave her encouraging smiles. Her room was cold due to the open windows, and there was one of her old nightgowns draped over the side of her bed, along with some panties and a headband. Closing her bedroom door, she slipped into the fresh clothes and silently thanked her mother for suggesting the shower earlier. It felt good to be clothed in something that she had worn before college, smelling like her mothers' shampoo and Robb’s shower gel. Running her hands over the soft duvet of her bed, she felt homesick even though she was home.

How could she ever return there, leave this sanctuary? She felt like she was sixteen again like her family would always just be a phone call and a quick drive away. Sansa felt heavy all over again, only worse this time.

Sinking down on her bed, and staring at the folded hands in her lap, she started crying again. Big, heaving sobs and with so much pain that blossomed inside her chest. Her bedroom door opened once more, and she just wanted to scream and tell them that they should leave her alone, that she didn’t want to see anybody and that she was going to be fine. She didn’t. No sound other than another sob escaped her, her face scrunching up so hard it hurt.

Her mother gently closed her windows and turned to face her. She sat down after a few moments and pressed Sansa to her side. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Sansa felt her bed dip behind her and small hands started to braid her still damp hair in a simple way. Arya didn’t say anything, but her presence was both calming and distressing at the same time. She wanted to have company but at the same time… nobody should see her like this.

When her tears subsided and her shoulders stopped shaking, she noticed the tea standing on her bedside table. Her mother caught her look, handing her a cup with a sad smile.

"It’s okay, sweetheart," she said with a heavy voice, after another moment of silence. "It’s okay to be sad and to feel down. What helps me the most in situations like that is to talk to someone."

Sansa shook her head. The tea was hot and it felt like her insides were warming up. Opening her mouth, even just to take a sip, seemed to trigger another fresh flood of tears. She swallowed it back as best as she could and her mother gave her a tiny smile.

"We are always here for you, Sansa" her sister piped up from somewhere behind her, and she felt like crying some more.

"Would you like to go back to sleep?" her mother asked with a concerned face. She nodded and after a heartbeat, Catelyn stood up and Arya climbed off the bed.

Sansa put her cup back on the nightstand, her hand shaking like crazy. She ungracefully dropped on her side, her head hitting the pillow and her legs were still dangling off the side. Her mother gently put them on top of the bed first, then covered her with one of her thinner blankets. Catelyn bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, before gently running her hand over her head.

Arya lingered a while longer when their mother walked out.

"Could you close the blinds?" Sansa managed to croak, feeling miserable. Her sister nodded, drawing them shut. It was dark once more, the first rays of sunshine completely blocked out. Silent as a cat, her sister moved through the dark and out the door, closing it gently.

Sansa was still staring at the point, where the curtains had closed a moment before.

Her dreams consisted of odd shapes, that were moving through the darkness. They seemed to chase her, whisper, change their faces. She couldn’t recognize them, couldn’t understand their words. Sansa was running and running until her lungs ached and her legs hurt. She fell off of a high place, flying flying flying and hitting the ground. Screaming, she tried to get away, always moving, always feeling like she was running through quicksand.

When she opened her eyes, she felt even more exhausted than before. Her mouth was dry, but she felt too tired to move. Her room was still dark, nothing moved and she was safe. She could feel the soft satin underneath her cheek, smell her room.

Simply lying there, gave her time to think again. She thought back to the night before, what she had found out and said to her boyfriend. He would never forgive her, she thought bitterly. 

_But do you want him to?_ a quiet voice asked. Of course, she argued with herself. I love him. Right? They could have worked through this, had it not been for her jealousy and knee-jerk reactions. 

_He cheated on you. He used you._

Shut up, she thought. Sansa was sure that she was going crazy. Nobody in their right mind had conversations like this with themselves. She thought back to the good times with Joffrey, how he had treated her right and how he had held her hand. The sweet albeit promiscuous text messages he would send her. How nice his uncle Tyrion had been to her, how proud his father Robert had introduced her to everybody as his daughter-in-law. 

Tears were welling up again, running past her nose and cheek and dripping onto her pillow. She had liked being treated like a princess, even if Joffrey had oftentimes acted like she was a price he had won. Had his temper really been that bad? Surely not, or otherwise she wouldn’t have stayed with him, right?

Turning over onto her back, Sansa stared up at the dark ceiling. Her feeling for the time was off, she wasn’t sure if she had only slept for an hour or a day. Sighing, she eventually reached out to drink a bit more tea. It had turned cold completely, but she didn’t mind. Putting the cup back, she turned her head away from the window and snuggled deeper into her bed. As soon as Sansa had closed her eyes again, she had fallen asleep.

The next time she woke up, her mother was standing next to her, with her hand still on Sansa’s shoulder. Fighting down the brief flicker of annoyance, she turned around.

"Would you like to eat dinner with us, honey?" Catelyn asked with a soft voice. Sansa was shaking her head before the question was finished, accepting the glass of water that her mother held. Fluids seemed to be the only thing she could stomach and the thought saddened her. Not saying anything, she laid back down, turning onto her side once more.

The next day passed in a blur of sleeping and staring at her ceiling. At some point, she had forced down a bowl of fruit, only to throw it back up an hour later.

When Arya came inside her room the day after that, she had a determined look on her face. Drawing back the curtains, she let in the last rays of sunshine. The sky looked like it was bleeding a mix of pink, red and purple with fluffy clouds dotted around the sky. Her little sister ripped open her window, letting in the freezing air. Sansa huffed, drawing her blanket up to her chin.

"I don’t think so," said her sister, walking over to her. Demandingly, she tugged her blanket away, until Sansa had to accept the fact that she wouldn’t be able to hide away anymore.

"The others decided that we should leave you be, but you’re not wasting away in bed on my watch" she continued, turning on the little lamp beside her bed. "Get up now, Jon made dinner!"

Arya basically bounced out of the room, leaving Sansa flabbergasted.

It was hard to sit up again, her back hurt from lying around for two days and the dizziness briefly returned. Sighing deeply, she made her way over to the door that Arya had left open. She closed it, briefly considering just going back to bed again and locking her door. She wouldn’t put it past Arya, however, to send Bran climbing over to her window.

Pulling out clothes at random, she assembled an outfit and got dressed. The chill she felt from the cold winter air lessened, once she had more than a simple cotton layer on. Her feet were naked when she made her way downstairs, noting how quiet the usually bustling house was. The carpet underneath her feet was soft, a light cream color that matched the walls and dark wood floor. 

When she entered the kitchen, Jon was standing at the stove with his back turned, and Arya sat on one of the barstools near him. She was typing something on her phone, but when she heard Sansa enter, she lifted her head and smiled at her. The kitchen smelled amazing, a mixture of soup and freshly baked bread and just home.

Jon was an amazing cook, better than even their mother, and upon smelling his latest creation, her stomach started to growl. She blushed, pressing a hand on it to silence any further complaints. Sansa hadn’t realized how hungry she had been, and as soon as Jon turned around she felt the sharp sting of shame when she saw his concerned face. She hadn’t seen herself in a mirror, but she could take a wild guess as to how she looked right now.

"Where are the others?" she asked with a raspy voice, coughing a bit afterward. Sansa hoped they wouldn’t address the elephant in the room until she had the chance to eat something.

"They’ve gone out to see Aunt Lysa, she planned a pre-birthday dinner for Robin or something ridiculous like that" Arya said with an eye roll. She and Jon had disliked their cousin Robin since he was able to talk, which would explain why they were absent for the night.

Sansa nodded and sat down opposite Arya, pouring herself some water. Jon served them dinner after a few minutes, the silence only disturbed by the mellow music that came from Arya’s Bluetooth speakers. The dinner soup was simple, a creamy potato and carrot mix with some sausage bits and fresh bread and cheese. She adored every recipe that Jon made, but this was one of her favorites and the thought that he had taken the effort to make it for her made her eyes water a bit.

They were quiet during most of the meal, a rare occasion among the three of them. Sighing, she put down her spoon.

"I broke up with Joffrey" she stated. Her throat hurt from all the crying and saying it out loud made Sansa cringe. Neither of the others said anything, Jon just nodded carefully and took another bite.

"I broke up with him be-because h-he…" the lump in her throat grew with each word and she tried to swallow heavily. "I broke up with him because he cheated on me. This bad feeling had followed me around like a bloody looming shadow and on that day it had been particularly bad."

Arya shot her a sympathetic look and put her tiny hand on hers, stretching a bit over the kitchen Island. Her brother still refrained from saying anything, carefully separating his bread into even pieces.

"So when I called him back after dinner, and this girl picked up the phone… I just freaked out. She was still with him when I told him off and it just h-hurt so bad because I love him so much and-" Sansa’s face scrunched up in pain, tears flowing once again. "And maybe it’s my fault for not being there for him, not caring enough. I just feel like I drove him away and all of the months we had are just gone and useless and stupid." Her breathing had gotten shallower, she tried to get everything out as quick as possible. 

Jon looked up at that, studying her face intently. Arya looked furious.

"That son of a bitch, I swear to god! Next time I see him, he’ll wish he never even laid eyes on you" she spit out, holding Sansa’s hand in a tight grip now. It didn’t take away from the awful feeling inside of her, but Sansa squeezed back regardless.

"Don’t call him." 

She looked at Jon, astonished.

"I know you want to, but don’t. This is not your fault, it’s entirely on him. You are a wonderful person, Sansa, and if he is too blind to see that then let him go." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "When Daenerys cheated on me, I was devastated. It felt like she had ripped out my heart, trampled on it and chewed it up all at once. Even after finding out about all of these different men, I still loved her. I still thought we could and would make it work, so I called her one night and we got back together, regardless of what everybody else advised me to do. As you know, it didn’t work out. The heart wants what it wants, I understand that but" he opened his eyes and stared at her with so many different emotions that she swallowed hard. "Sometimes we should take a step back and try to detach ourselves from a situation. Right now it might feel like you wasted your time, but in the long run, you have gained many experiences over the months. This was your first relationship, San. It won’t be your last. There is somebody out there that would never hurt you on purpose and has the same values as you do. Take me as an example: When I met Ygritte-"

"Oh, here we go again," Arya said with a well-natured scoff. Jon laughed.

"I’m serious! When I met her, I didn’t plan on making another friend, let alone date her. After two years of fighting and loving each other, I am positive that she is the one for me. And just last week I heard that Dany got engaged to her boyfriend as well. When I let go of the past and accepted what had happened, it felt like leaving the baggage behind. So don’t blame yourself for what happened, but also don’t just forgive and forget. If you are one hundred percent sure that Joffrey would be worth it, give it another shot. Otherwise, let it be and take the experience."

Sansa was speechless. Usually, Jon was more the strong and silent type of guy but hearing him talk with so much passion and fondness for her filled her with warmth and gratitude. She still wasn’t sure whether or not she had made the right decision, but feeling the support from her family made her insides glow. 

Arya glowered first at their brother, then her.

"That’s sweet and all but listen to me. Joffrey had his good moments, I give him that. But for the last couple of weeks, hell, months you have been feeling uncomfortable. I’m not trying to throw dirt on your relationship, because I know you tried hard, okay? And I’m saying this as objectively as I can but, San, it is very telling that our whole family dislikes him. He might be decent at times, but he just doesn’t belong to you. You need someone that sweeps you off your feet, that doesn’t show you off like a doll and that matches your intelligence. And for fuck's sake, he’s too tiny for you."

"He is just my height!" defended Sansa with a laugh, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Yeah, and self-conscious about it. You need someone comfortable with their girlfriend wearing heels!" Arya laughed back and stroked her hand. Jon shook his head with a smile and went back to eating his dinner. 

Telling her parents the next morning was easier than expected. Her father had just hugged her, while her mother said something along the lines of motherly intuition and that everything would be fine. It still stung to talk about it, but she also felt somehow lighter. Like sharing this and splitting the burden with her family had left her with just a fraction of the bad feelings that had been there before. Sansa still wasn’t going outside, however. She had charged her phone on the seventh day, leaving the hundreds of messages from Joffrey unread and just chatting with Margaery for a couple of hours. After a whole week of sitting inside, she felt restless. 

Doing nothing was very rare for Sansa, quiet and undisturbed days were nearly impossible on campus and catching up on all of the much-needed sleep made her feel even more tired. Every hour that she spent alone, her mind would drift off. Not necessarily to Joffrey, sometimes it was school and her friends and what the gossip girls would say once she returned. She had to admit to herself, that most of her current friends were somehow connected to her ex-boyfriend. None of them had bothered to text her, and that told her everything she needed to know about them.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but realizing that she was very lonely outside of her family and Margaery felt… odd. She had always been popular and nice to everybody, but most friendships from high school had faded when college came around and then classes and later on Joffrey had taken up most of her remaining time. 

On her eighth day of sitting at home, Sansa had taken a piece of paper and written down things that she enjoyed doing or had wanted to do for a long time, putting them in no particular order. Bran had watched with interest over the edge of his book, suggesting a few things here and there. She then took duct tape and hung her list on the fridge, with a little space next to every point so she could checkmark them later on. Robb drank from his coffee cup and read through it with interest.

"One" he read aloud. "Go see a movie. Two: Take Rickon and Bran to the Christmas Fair. Three: Play the piano every day. Four: Bake cookies. Five: Finish the English assignment." 

Turning to her, he frowned. "Why is it only Rickon and Bran?"

"I wanna go, too!" exclaimed Arya.

Her father walked over from the breakfast table and scribbled a little _\+ Dad_ next to the other names. Everybody scrambled for the pen after that, and Sansa truly started to laugh for the first time in a week. It felt odd, after such a long time of feeling sad and tired but she welcomed it with her whole heart.

After a few minutes, the list had gotten longer, now sporting all of their names at the Christmas Fair. Family movie night with popcorn, as well as gaming with Arya and painting with her mother, had made their way on there as well, not that she was complaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Sansa. Who do you agree more with, Jon or Arya?
> 
> Don't worry, from this point on, things are starting to look a lot better for her and the next chapter will contain some much needed Officer Clegane.
> 
> Oh, and did anyone catch that Carrie Bradshaw moment she had? I just love Sex and the City so much, and that honeymoon scene is simply iconic. 
> 
> Leave some love, little birds.


End file.
